1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a near-infrared shielding material.
2. Description of Related Art
Textiles are widely applied in our daily life, and functional textiles with additional functionality are becoming the main research and development interest of the textile industry.
Conventionally, to endow textile with an additional functionality, the surfaces of the fabrics or fibers are post-treated or -processed with active ingredient(s) so as to obtain functional textiles or fibers. Problems faced by functional textiles produced thereby include poor fastness to washing, less air permeability, and harsh hand-feel. Besides, the functional materials tend to fall-off from the functional fabrics thereby impairing the functionality endowed by the functional materials.
In contrast to the post-treatment of the fabrics, modifying the polymers so as to produce polymers with the additional functionality attracts more and more research interest. However, many challenges remain unsolved in the attempt to physically and/or chemically modify a polymeric material. For example, factors to be taken into account while physically mixing the functional material with the polymeric material include: the homogeneity of the resultant mixture and the stability of the mixture. In addition, the amount of the functional material also plays an important role, since the functional material, in an insufficient amount, may not be able to endow the final fabrics with the desired functionality, whereas the functional material, in an excess amount, may jeopardize the original properties of the polymeric material, and thereby renders the spinning and following treatment(s) inoperable.
In view of the foregoing, although polymer modification is the main research target of the textile industry, each functional material will face its own challenge in the modification process.